Wedding Photos of Emotion

The following “Emotion” images were created by documentary wedding photographers from the WPJA, who regularly submit their best candid moments, artistic portraits, details, and scene setters for review by our WPJA competition judges.

WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS + ARTISTIC PORTRAITS & DETAILS + ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS

Some of the “Emotion” marriage photography samples below may have come from the getting ready events, the actual wedding ceremony, the reception after-party, an engagement session with the couple, or possibly be artistic portraits or detail shots.

FINE ART WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: Our Artistic Guild award winners take a more creative approach to wedding day Portraits and use their innovative skills to capture the Details of each couple’s special day. The Artistic Guild’s Scene Setters are some of the most notable and breathtaking from within the artistic WPJA contest categories. Playing with light and shadow, special effects, and post-production editing, these images embrace the artistic component of wedding photography.

PRE-WEDDING ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: The story of every couple starts long before the wedding day, and the engagement marks one of the most important milestones in their story. Engaged couples often want to celebrate the occasion and announce their upcoming wedding with a photoshoot. Pre-wedding portraits of an engaged couple can be just as moving and compelling as the images taken on the wedding day. Engagement portraits can win a Diamond Award, an exclusive WPJA award whose winner is selected from the best engagement photography in the world.

A crying bride and father dancing at The Madison in New Jersey, full of emotion, in this wedding picture

This tight shot of the crying bride and her father dancing, full of emotion, perfectly captures a tender moment at this wedding

At the home of the bride and groom in Occitanie, the bride tenderly kisses her best friend, watched by her granddaughter

At the home of the bride and groom, the bride tenderly kisses her best friend

emotion hugs and kisses France photographer at home preparations Ludovic Lieffrig France

Virginia groom watching bride walk down the aisle during an Ashburn ceremony

The groom was overwhelmed with emotion as he watched the bride walk down the aisle at the outdoor ceremony

emotion Virginia Ashburn VA virginia wedding photographer Virginia Groom Virginia outdoor ceremony

Bride's dad discovers his daughter in a pre wedding Photo

The bride's father saw her for the first time in her wedding gown

wedding gown father of bride france wedding photographer father first look France emotion

showing tears and emotion during the speeches

Bordeaux photographer France Bordeaux tears speeches emotion

Bride reacts when father enters room at Carriage Hall, Nottingham, UK

The bride was overcome with emotion when her father entered the room and saw her dressed in her wedding gown

wedding gown Nottinghamshire Nottingham bride father of bride emotion Nottingham Wedding Photographer Nottingham

The woman's emotions ran high as she embraced the bride in a tearful hug, her face hidden behind her hand

Ohio candid documentary wedding photography capturing the moment the emotions set in

emotion Ohio hug Ohio photographer

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this wedding day moment by a Milan, Italy documentary wedding photographer showing the bride as she caresses her dad before leaving the house

Italy wedding day moment Milan photographer Milan Dad caresses Lombardy Italy

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this Black Mountain Lodge, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone wedding day moment by a Colorado documentary wedding photographer showing the brides mom embracing her during their mother daughter dance in the mountains

embracing emotion moment Arapahoe Basin wedding reception Colorado documentary weddings Colorado Black Mountain Lodge venue

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this Rivarennes wedding day moment by a Indre, France documentary wedding photographer showing the bride and her grandmother moved after the secular ceremony

emotion Indre bride Gaelle Caré Indre heartfelt Rivarennes grandmother

A top Long Island, NY wedding photographer captured this picture of the Groom getting overwhelmed with emotion during the ceremony A top Long Island, NY wedding photographer captured this picture of the Groom getting overwhelmed with emotion during the

New York - Long Island ceremony ny wedding photographer emotion New York Denise Chastain Long Island weddings

A top Occitanie wedding photographer captured this picture of Groom and his mother waiting for the bride with emotion

bride entrance Waiting emotion mother Occitanie Occitanie wedding photographer groom

Occitanie wedding reportage photojournalist created this image showing bride and her mother with emotion just after wearing the dress for first time

Occitanie wedding photojournalist Occitanie wedding reportage emotion bride Occitanie mother wearing

Best Chambon documentary wedding photography from the South of France - The bride hugging her mom with a lot of emotion

France bride hugging mom French photography Chambon documentary wedding emotion France Chambon

A top Ireland wedding photojournalism example from a beautiful Offaly wedding day image displaying the emotion of the bride after reading a letter from the groom

Ireland wedding photojournalism reading Ireland Leinster Offaly wedding day emotion

This Guanajuato, Mexico wedding photojournalism picture is a top quality example of what candid, nontraditional Miguel de Allende wedding photography at Atotonilco looks like, as the couple are on the phone and the moment is very beautiful

emotion video Atotonilco couple Miguel de Allende Guanajuato Jorge Alcala Goded phone

Georgetown Centre, Pittsburgh marriage reception party award-winning photo that has recorded A college friend of the bride clutching her heart as she watches the new couple

emotion heart clutching bride reception party photo Pittsburgh Pittsburgh photographer

Paris marriage reception party award-winning photo showing The bride cries during her dad's speech

paris reception party Pierrick Roland Dad tight shot bride cries bride and groom emotion

Occitanie marriage preparation time award-winning picture capturing the Retouch of make up before church after a lot of emotion

Occitanie make up Retouch bride emotion before church Marion Pomes

Rio Grande do Sul wedding photography of women and men embracing at the event

brazilian wedding emotion embracing Rio Grande do Sul wedding venue

A wedding photographer in Vendee created this image showing The bride embraces her grandmother after covid pandemics and cries

Crying bride grandmother France Vendee Jeremie Sangare emotion

An Italian wedding photographer at Castello di Torre Alfina created this image of The bride and groom during the ceremony and the tears of emotion

ceremony Castello di Torre Alfina image emotion bride and groom tears

A wedding photographer in Occitanie created this image of Her handicapped grandpa is discovering Bride and groom after ceremony with emotion

Grandpa Occitanie wedding photography Occitanie bride and groom after the ceremony discovering Marion Pomes

A wedding photographer in Occitanie created this image of mother discovering her daughter with her dress, the same dress for the mum wedding and daughter wedding so a lot of emotion

daughter emotion wedding photography Occitanie daughter wedding mum Occitanie wedding

Occitanie wedding photography contest award winning candid moment at the Church during ceremony showing Bride with her bridesmaid with emotion

Occitanie wedding photography hug Marion Pomes emotion during ceremony bridesmaid bride

Crear, Kilberry, Scotland wedding reportage moment of the groom feeling the emotion as he takes the congratulations from his daughters after marrying Natalie

Crear, Kilberry, Scotland wedding reportage moment of the groom feeling the emotion as he takes the congratulations from his daughters after getting married

Scotland wedding reportage daughters congratulations emotion Crear ocean

Arette, Pyrénées, France photography of a wedding moment showing A friend and her child embrace the bride with emotion

France Pyrenees emotion child friend embrace bride

Arette, Pyrénées, France wedding ceremony moment created as The groom embraces his bride with emotion

France photographer Arette weddings moment Pyrenees Arette indoor wedding french bride emotion

Domaine des Charmilles wedding day moment of emotion picture showing the France Bride and her sister so touched before the wedding

Domaine des Charmilles emotion sister Saint Laurent de la Prée touch moment

Annapolis, Maryland emotion and love wedding moment photo showing the bride After the ceremony was over she grabbed her husband and just fell into his arms and cried

Maryland bride grab Annapolis hugs cried Annapolis wedding moment love

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WPJA contest judges have been recognized by their industry peers, winning top awards as staff picture editors, staff photojournalists, and newsroom mentors while working for these and other leading publications and journalism organizations.